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The Detroit Red Wings (3-3-2) and Seattle Kraken (5-3-1) will meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 9:40 p.m. EDT at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Wash. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Kraken are favored at -115 on the moneyline, with the Red Wings -105 to pull off the upset. The over/under is set at 6.5 (-102o / -120u).
Let's get into our Red Wings vs. Kraken predictions and NHL picks.
Red Wings vs. Kraken Prediction
- Pick: Under 6.5
Our Detroit vs. Seattle best bet is on the under, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your NHL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NHL odds page.
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Red Wings vs Kraken Odds
| Red Wings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -265 | 6.5 -102o / -120u | -105 |
| Kraken Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +210 | 6.5 -102o / -120u | -115 |
- Red Wings vs. Kraken puck line: Red Wings +1.5 (-265), Kraken -1.5 (+210)
- Red Wings vs. Kraken over/under: 6.5 (-102o / -120u)
- Red Wings vs. Kraken moneyline: Red Wings -105, Kraken -115
- Red Wings vs. Kraken best bet: Under 6.5
Red Wings vs. Kraken Preview
Detroit Red Wings Preview
There's still plenty of time to make things right for this season, but it's been a dreadful start for the Red Wings.
From the Dylan Larkin debacle where the fans booed him out of the building, to their two stars in Mo Seider and Lucas Raymond not recording a goal in the first eight games, something has to change.
Scoring has come from only five players this season. Alex DeBrincat, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Viktor Arvidsson, Emmitt Finnie, and Justin Faulk are the only ones who have scored more than once, ranking the Wings in the bottom 10 in goals scored.
Now, while the offense has been pretty brutal, Todd McLellan has the guys playing pretty solid defense. Detroit ranks 11th with a 15.8 xGA% and a seventh-best Goals Against Above Expected.
That has certainly helped the goaltending. And I don't think we've seen the best of John Gibson yet, who historically thrives when a top-tier defense is in front of him.
Luckily, for the Wings, Daniil Tarasov has carried the load in three starts with a staggering performance. Out of the 57 shots he's faced, he's only let two goals in, which makes you wonder about riding the hot hand until Gibson gets his mojo back.
Seattle Kraken Preview
Things were looking positive for the Kraken after winning the first three games of their five-game road trip. One of those wins came against the Red Wings, in which they won 6-3.
But then everything came back down to Earth. Seattle set foot in the state of Florida, and fell to both the Lightning and the Panthers — most recently getting trounced 8-3 by the Cats.
Typically, I never really know what the Kraken are doing when it comes to roster construction, but here we are, ranking sixth in the West. They've been getting top-tiered production out of the players that are supposed to play at a high level.
Both Jared McCann and Kaapo Kakko have eight points in nine games, and Freddie Gaudreau, out of all people, leads the team in scoring with five goals. I still would like to see more out of Matty Beniers, but it's a long season.
Lane Lambert-coached teams usually lean towards the defensive side of the puck, but this time, it's been pretty different. Through the first nine games of the season, Seattle is ranking 11th in the league in expected goals with an 18.81 xGF%, but ranks 30th with a 23.5 xGA.
That is usually a red flag, and it still very well may be. However, it's a sign of how well Seattle's goaltending has been. Philipp Grubauer is posting a .910 SV%, along with a 4.2 GSAx, good enough for 14th among all netminders — which is pretty impressive given that Grubauer has been one of the worst netminders since he arrived in Seattle four years ago.
Red Wings vs Kraken Pick
As of right now, we still don't know who's starting for either team. Since this is a West Coast trip, check toward 1 p.m. ET for goaltender announcements or who comes off the ice first in morning skate. But here's my line of thinking before that information becomes public:
If I'm McLellan, I'm riding with Tarasov. Detroit has been a disaster this season, and the only way out of this slump is top-notch goaltending. Gibson isn't doing it right now.
For the Kraken, I wonder if this continues or if it fizzles out. It was clear that the road trip took a toll on them, considering 80% of their season has been on the road thus far, so a little home cooking never hurt anyone.
For this game, though, I'm leaning toward the under. As good as the Kraken have been on the offensive end, I think it's a little unsustainable. And Detroit's defense has been stellar. Detroit, on the other hand, can't get its depth going one bit; it feels like it's going to be a five-man show again.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-120)
